Obesity is a medical condition characterized by excessive body fat accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and increased health problems. Body mass index (BMI) is a common factor for determining whether a person has obesity. BMI is a measurement obtained by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of the person's height in meters. A person is considered obese if his BMI exceeds 30 kg/m2. El-Sayed Moustafa et al., Nat Rev Endocrinol., 2013; and Malik et al., Nat. Rev. Endocrinol. 9, 13-27 (2013).
Obesity is a critical risk factor for various diseases and disorders, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. It has become an increasing burden on public health worldwide.